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This is my first post to breastfeeding. I really want to breastfeed my baby, who is due in march. I am a little worried that I may struggle, and just would like some advice to stop myself from worrying! My mum had NO supply, and I guess I want to hear from ladies who have suceeded in breastfeeding, when their mothers couldn't. I know logically that just because she didnt make any milk, it doesnt automatically mean that I wont, but logic has been suspended when it comes to this baby!
She said her boobs didnt grow at all, whereas mine have maybe gone up a cup size so far. I have also had little crusties, but have not properly leaked yet, and a fair few women on my due date board have already started full on leaking (Im 23 weeks). Are there any ladies out there who never leaked but still produced plenty of milk in the end?
Thanks for your help guys!

There is no connection between breasts leaking or not and being able to breastfeed. So calm down. :) The fact that you've grown a size and have crusties on your nipples are very good signs (but I wouldn't tell a pregnant mom to worry who hasn't had them).

They used to do some pretty crazy things with new moms in our parents and grandparents generations. Like giving moms shots to dry up their milk after birth - without their consent. Or telling moms that newborns needed formula until their milk came in.

The inability to breastfeed is NOT genetic. The women who do have physical issues that prevent them from making a full milk supply - those are not inherited.

Get yourself to some (free!) La Leche League meetings now, while you are still pregnant. They only meet once a month, so don't wait too long to look them up and find one in your area.

Colostrum is all your baby needs at birth, and a newborn's stomach is only the size of a marble. Nursing your newborn is what brings in your milk supply, and each day your body will produce more and more transitional milk until it's making mature milk.

Also offering anecdotal since you asked: I never leaked during pregnancy, I was able to produce a full supply for my baby. Oh, and I also didn't leak after my baby was born. In the beginning, whenever I would let down nursing baby, the non-used side would dribble a few drops but that stopped after the first month or two. Not leaking has less to do with your supply and more to do with... I don't remember how this is worded, something about the valves in your nipples.

Link to find your local LLL group (go now, get to know the women! they will help you feel confident and able. and you'll be familiar with the group if you do need help breastfeeding):
http://www.llli.org/webus.html

I leaked and still leak all the friggin time. It is beyond annoying. I wish I was not a leaker, like some of my friends. Lucky ducks.

That has nothing to do with supply.

Now as far as your mom, don't let that worry you. There could have been many reasons she had low-no supply. One that comes to mind is bad info when she had kids. It was common practice for doctors to tell mom's back in the day that you should only feed babe every 4 hours and that babes should sleep through the night very early on. That would make anyone's supply tank. Also hormones play a huge role, maybe she was having some hormone issues. Some of the pain meds used back then caused disruptions to hormones etc.

Breast size does not matter when it comes to supply. My breast size did not change and I did not even get engorged with one of my girls. I have fed both absolutely fine.

I would recommend just reading lots, find a breastfeeding friendly doctor/ped, have a lactation consultant on stand by in case you need one, have a support system in place. If you feel anything is a miss, get your self to a lactation consultant. Early intervention or help can really improve your breastfeeding chances. If you are interested find a La leche meeting near you. You can attend now, while pregnant and ask tons of questions and get to know some new moms :), there is also the forums on www.llli.org

www.kellymom.com is a fantastic resource as well on many things besides breast feeding.

Watch youtube videos on latching.

A great book is The womanly art of Breastfeeding 8th edition, that is put out by the La leche league.

Not sure if you are with a midwife or OB and where you plan on giving birth. But I would recommend stipulating that babe does not get a bottle what so ever. No formula or sugar water. Keep baby with you at the hospital at all times. Some staff at the hospital can be over zealous and give babe a bottle without your permission. Which can really undermine the breastfeeding relationship. Those first few days-weeks is when your supply is figured out. So if you start out strong then usually by the 6th week your supply will be established. Breastfeeding is a supply and demand game. Don't worry about schedules or baby feeding x amount every however many hours. Feed on demand at the first sign of hunger and that should really get your supply established.

Educate yourself on how baby will act around a growth spurt. A lot of times around a growth spurt a mom will think her supply is gone cause of the way babe will be acting (which is usually normal behavior) and then supplement. Starts a vicious cycle. each supplement a babe is given and babe does not extract from you signals your body to produce less. So the more you supplement, the less you produce and so on.

I never leaked and had a c section and my supply came in on the 4th day. Still going strong at 8 months and not a drop of formula. I recommend going to La Leche League meeting now to educate yourself and get a support network!

i never leaked while i was pregnant. the only way i knew i had any colostrum was when i practiced a hand-expression technique and got a couple of drops, and that was probably further along in my pregnancy than you are now.

i had a c-section and my milk didn't come in until day 5, but since then i've had no issues with supply, and my daughter's nearly 1 year old. she was born in the 90th percentiles but has evened out to about the 60th percentile.

my mom only breastfed me for 3 months, due to my not gaining weight. i don't know whether it was an issue with supply or fore/hindmilk imbalance or milk transfer or what, but she's really happy that i've been able to continue for so much longer than she was. i think she'll be more sad when i wean than i will!

Just remember to let your little one suckle ALL THE TIME those first few weeks; your body will respond in a feedback loop to her demands. Breastfeeding Made Simple is a great book to put your mind at ease.

I leaked horribly from 15 weeks onward with my first pregnancy. With my second pregnancy which was twins I didn't leak. My milk came in the same day the twins were born by C section. I still don't leak unless I am bent over for a while. (On hands and knees) which is awesome for me so I don't have to sleep with a bra on :) And I'm still Bf exclusively for the twins at 8 months.

Only your body can decide what it can do. Just drink plenty of fluids and speak to lactation nurses if needed.

My mother had a horrible time breastfeeding and had to give it up with my brothers. One for "no supply" and the second after a miserable time dealing with poor latch, then a horrible case of mastitis that sent her to the hospital, and that was the end of that.

I've successfully nursed for 11 months so far :) The first six weeks were pretty bad - he had a shallow latch and I didn't get the help I should have gotten, so I was in quite a bit of pain and it took us a while to hit a groove.

Many women think they had "no supply" and were told to start formula very early - not realizing that it may take several days to see any milk. This is how a lot of women get derailed - their babies are given formula in the hospital and they're given very poor advice. Either way, do not worry about leaking (I never leaked while pregnant and it clearly hasn't been a problem), or your mother's experience as a predictor of how you'll do. And familiarize yourself with the "booby traps" at the http://www.bestforbabes.org website, so you can recognize when you're getting bad advice or support (those things are really important, it really does lead to "failure" for a lot of women, so knowing what hospital policies are and how to say no to them giving formula and stuff is a good thing to do). :)

My mom "couldn't". I use quotes because from what she's told me, there wasn't much support available at the time and doctors encouraged her to give up and use formula. So when I cried wanting to nurse all the time she figured I was starving and gave in.

I've nursed one baby for a full year and am on the 4th month with number two. Both times were tough to start but I didn't give up and fought for it, and so far have won :)